The Karate Games - The Continuation
by daughterofathena9909
Summary: What if the maniacal director did not say that the Karate Games end when Kim and Jack get to the Hollywood sign? Follow the two friends as they go through the terrors, games, tricks, and traps of one crazy man, all while their friendship strengthens to the point it's unbreakable. Rated T just to be safe.
1. Chapter 1

**Just an idea that popped into my head. I know there are many of these type of fanfics out there, but just give it a try!**

**Jack's POV**

I doubled over, trying to catch my breath, while Kim did the same. Everywhere we looked there was dirt or trees.

"We can- can find…" Kim started, but stopped again to breathe.

I looked around, and found a crevice in the hill. Perfect to live in. I tapped on Kim shoulder, and pointed to the tiny cave, too exhausted to speak. Realization spread across her face, but she didn't say anything. Instead she looked around, I stopped to stare at a camera hiding through the bushes. She glanced at me, and I immediately understood what she was trying to say. _Take out the cameras and microphones._

"We- we need food. I'll search over there," I gasped, pointing near the camera. She nodded, and replied, "I'll search on that side," while pointing at a microphone.

I climbed up the tree, and 'accidently' broke the camera. We didn't need the nutjob director know that we were trying to outsmart him.

I came down, and called out for Kim. She ran up to me. "That's it," she said, with a laugh. "We can live in that cave until _somebody_ with enough sense can call the police."

I smiled. "Yeah, I wonder how things are back at the dojo. Their probably jealous that we are starring in our own movie."

Kim scoffed, "Yeah well look where that got us."

I started climbing up the side of the hill. In ten minutes I was at the entrance of the cave. "Ugh Kim, the entrance is jammed with rocks. We will need dynamite to open this."

She climbed up under me. As I pulled her up, she looked over the entrance. "Impossible. We can't get in. It's a waste of time to even try," she decided.

I wasn't going to give up that easy. I ran in to it and shoved against the rock with my shoulder, only to almost break it. I tried prying it open, but it failed.

"Jack, it useless, let's go," Kim insisted. I gave one last glance at the cave entrance, and started making my way down. As soon at Kim's feet hit the ground, ninjas came out of all corners.

Kim groaned, and cursed the director. "What do you want?!" I yelled, standing in front of Kim.

"Yak, and Kam! Trying to outsmart me? Well I guess we'll have to change the script!" That annoying director's eccentric voice came out of a microphone.

"There is no script, you freak!" Kim yelled. I shielded Kim, waiting for the ninjas to make the first move. As I turned to the left, Kim screamed, "Jack, look out!" I tried to duck, but a dart grazed the tip my ear, and I crumpled to the ground.

 _4 hours later_

I woke up feeling a warm body around me, their arm slung carelessly across my chest. I was lying down on something hard, and arms and legs were tied up. There was a thick cloth around my mouth, gagging me. The person next to me was alive, since I felt their chest rise and fall against the side of my body.

I finally opened my eyes. At first, all I saw was black. Soon, my eyes adjusted to the darkness and I saw the silky blond hair of Kim flowing beside me. We in the trunk of some car, and judging by the sound of street noises I could tell we were back in the city.

I was bursting with joy at the thought. "Kim. Kim!" I whispered. She was probably unconscious. I noticed knives, guns, and other weapons piled next to me. Not such a smart move. They probably thought we wouldn't wake up.

After 30 minutes of painful maneuvering, I managed to use a knife and free my hands. I quickly untied the gag around my mouth, and freed Kim. She finally woke up.

"Jack! Where are we?" she whispered.

I held up my hand, motioning for her to be quiet. I was able to make out the words of the drivers in the front.

"Hey! We hadn't had a bathroom break in 5 hours! Let's pull over!"

"I'm telling you, those guys woke up! If we pull over, they will escape!"

"All of you, shut up! We are stuck in bumper to bumper traffic, and the boss wants us in Sacramento in 2 more hours!"

This outburst was followed by some murmuring, until everyone was silent.

"You hear that?! That crazy director wants us in Sacramento! Ha! We'll just tell the police!" Kim whispered, overjoyed with what she heard.

I grinned, and I saw her brown eyes sparkling in the darkness. Her hair was a mess, and there were smudges of dirt all over her face. She looked like a blazing fire, full of life.

I turned over when I heard more words.

"Hey, hey, when we arrive at Sacramento and pick up the serial-killers and venomous snakes, we are going to the Death Valley right?" this guy piped up.

I groaned, and closed my eyes wishing this was all a dream. Death Valley? I can't do it.

Kim grabbed one of the knife and lunged for the side of the trunk, while I held her back by holding onto her waist.

"Kim! We can't let them find out we're awake!" I whispered.

We waited for what seemed an hour, holding our breath and hoping they will pull over. Finally, we heard somebody grunt.

"We're running out of gas. I'll pull over and fill up the van, one of you can go get food, and the other can watch the kids."

The other two grunted in response.

As the van came to a stop, I turned over and saw Kim's face, which was filled with alarm. They'll find out we woke up!

As we heard two doors slam closed, we lied down, our hearts pounding so hard I thought the man in the front could hear us.

"They leave me with all the work huh? If they get out, I'll hear them anyway. I'm not going to do all the bad work." The man said grumpily.

I exhaled in relief, and Kim's lips curved upward.

She sighed, snuggled close to me, and soon fell asleep. I smiled inwardly.

 _Time lapse to 8 hours later_

**Kim's POV**

I woke up to see Jack asleep, facing me. _He must've fell asleep watching me,_ I thought with a smirk. All the stress from the past few days that normally was displayed on Jack's face disappeared. His hair was falling in his face, with a ghost of a smile gracing his features.

"Hey," I whispered. Immediately, I saw his muscles tighten, and his brow furrow with tension. His eyes suddenly opened, but when seeing me he relaxed.

"Hey," he whispered back, smiling.

I reached out and moved the hair out of his face. "Want to get out of here?" He asked.

I realized that the car was still, then blushed for not realizing it sooner. He smirked.

"Yeah, let's go," I said quickly. Jack, turned to the trunk door, and kicked it hard. He then pushed it open and jumped out. He held out his hand, and in a fake British accent said, "After you m'lady."

I looked at him like 'seriously', but accepted his hand and got out of the car.

We suddenly heard voices becoming louder. Jack grabs me by my waist and pulls me behind a bush.

"…need more coffee. We should wait at Boss's personal resort for another day."

"Nah, we need to get the kids to Death Valley."

"Aw, tomorrow after lunch, we can leave."

"Fine." And with that the two stranger started chuckling and walked away.

I looked over at Jack, who was looking at me apprehensively. "We are in the director's personal resort!" he whispered.

I nodded grimly. I looked over the bush at the resort entrance. Plenty of security guards guarded the gates, monitoring whoever went in or out. That only meant one thing.

We were trapped.

 **So tell me how it was! If you have any ideas, feel free to include them into your review. So… follow, favorite, and** _ **please**_ **review!**


	2. Chapter 2

Kim's POV

Jack and I managed to creep into the villa's garden, and climbed atop the largest tree to make camp. He was right now standing on a branch, the wind flying through his hair, as he looked out for anymore security cameras.

"We're all clear, but if anyone comes to take care of the garden, we're dead."

I sighed, sitting down on the sturdy tree branch. Jack found this tree two nights ago, and decided this was the best place we can stay. At first I was a bit skeptical about our hideout being 60 feet into the air, but when I went up, I realized that the place was perfect: the leaves grew all around us, covering us from anyone looking up.

Jack stole some large blankets and made hammocks for us to sleep in, and took a kitchen knife just in case we need to attack anyone.

He sat down, looking glumly at the ground below us. I noticed a deep cut on his cheek, now dripping red.

"Jack? What happened to your cheek?" He subconsciously reached up, and looked surprised when seeing he red on his fingers.

"Oh, I kind of cut myself in the kitchen." He said in a quiet voice, giving a sheepish smile.

"What?' I asked. I carefully made my way to the branch Jack was on and sat down in front of him. I put my hand on the side of his face, and brushed the cut with my thumb.

"Jack, its deep. It can get infected," I said worriedly.

"Its fine," he insisted, but he didn't make any move to take off my hand.

"We can take care of it later Kim. We just need food right now," he said. After a moment's hesitation, I surrendered and took off my hand. We sat next to each other in silence.

"Look what we got ourselves into," Jack said with a humorless laugh. I cracked a smile.

"One day, we'll look back at this and laugh at ourselves," I answered.

"As if that day will ever come," Jack muttered in response.

I shielded my eyes from the blaring sunset. "I just wish we could get out of this stupid resort."

"You think? This was the dumbest idea on earth," Jack said, scoffing.

I smiled at his cockiness. We fell into silence once more.

"Kim, don't you have a sister?"

I was surprised by that question. Jack always talked about what's going on now. He never really showed interest in my life away from him. "Yeah, her name is Serena. She's 8."

Jack leaned back, a smile playing on his lips. "Tell me more," he said.

I grinned. "She is adorable. She has pretty grey eyes, and blonde hair like me. She loves to sing, and she's really good at it too. Her favorite color is green…." I went on, telling about my family, how my dad is rarely at home.

"He always is off in Beijing, or Dubai, or Singapore. He almost never has a day off." I then told about my mom.

"She's a great cook, and an accountant. She leaves early at 7 and comes back late at 9. But there is always a fresh meal on the table," I elaborated. I told how my parents didn't think a girl should do karate, and how I always have to sneak out of the house to the dojo.

Jack gave a sympathetic smile when I finished. "Have they ever seen your karate? If they had seen what you did to Ricky Weaver, they would be begging you to go to some karate academy."

I laughed. It felt good to laugh after such a long time. Jack laughs with me.

"Hey, I'll get us some food and other supplies okay?",

"Do those supplies include hair gel?" I asked jokingly.

His brightened up. "Why? Did you see any anywhere?" he asked eagerly. I punched playfully as he waved bye, making his way down the tree.

 _2 hours later_

Jack came back up, his hair an even huger mess, smiling at he pulled up a cotton sack. I quickly took the sack from him as he pulled himself up.

"Got us some _good_ food!" he said excitedly. He carefully stood up ion the thin branched, and held onto the branch above him.

"Pass me the rope that's in the bag," he said. I tossed it to him and he caught it. He tied one end to the branch. He motioned for me to give him the back. He took it and used a knife to make a hole in it, and then tied the other end of the rope through the sack so it was hanging on the branch.

"You wouldn't believe what I had to go through to get some food," he said, smiled ear to ear.

"Oh yeah? What did the great Jack Brewer do to gather a few scraps of food?"

"Hey!" he protested. "I didn't get _scraps_ of food!" He took out a box salad, passing it over to me. "I worked hard to find some _good_ , no _great_ food." He then pulled out a bottle of wine. He opened it, but instead of wine, the smell of fresh tomato soup filled my nose. He took a bowl out of the sack, and filled it with the soup, and handed it to me. He closed the wine bottle, and pulled out some silverware, and gave me a spoon.

"Dinner served," he said, bowing.

I looked at the food in my hands, amazed. "How- how did you get this?!" asked wondrously.

"Well, I stumbled into the kitchen, when this huge French cook came up to me and said, 'You are new serving boy?' And I just played along. Before I knew it, I was serving all this fat guys some food, and took advantage of it and stole some. I am expected tomorrow at 9 in the kitchen," he finished.

I tried to contain my laughter, but failed. "Hey! At least we have really good food because of my new job!" he protested.

We eagerly ate up, and in minutes all the things Jack had brought us were finished. He sighed contently, then pulled out what seemed to be a piece of broken mirror, and a bottle of hair spray.

"Really?" I asked, amused.

"When somebody finds us and tries to take us out, I want to look good fighting him!" he sprayed his hair while peering into the small piece of mirror, and used his fingers to comb through his hair.

When he caught me looking at him, he stuck out his tongue. "Accept it. I love my hair."

A warm feeling fluttered through my chest. It was amazing that in the most horrible situations, Jack could make a person smile in seconds.

A few moments later, I was dragged out of my thoughts when Jack spoke up. "It's late, we should get to sleep. Here, I'll take first watch and wake you up when it's your turn."

 _Always the gentleman, isn't he?_ "Jack, I just sat here for 2 hours while you went out and worked. I'll take first watch, tonight," I insisted.

He looked like he wanted to argue, but after a few moments of hesitation, he surrendered.

I grinned at my small victory. "Go sleep, you need rest for your _job_ tomorrow."

He cracked a small smile, and within moments, he was fast asleep. I sighed, and looked out at the setting sun, it's beautiful colors blazing through the sky. I thought of the irony of all this, and how I wished that Jack and I were seeing this sunset safe at home.

 _6 hours later_

I looked up bleary-eyed at the full moon peeking through the branches. The resort was dead silent, except for the strong, ice-cold wind flying through the air. I kind of regretted not planning anything before we went to sleep, because it was freezing. I was only wearing the thin sleeveless shirt and knee-length shorts given to me when we were making the movie.

I hugged myself tighter, but nothing helped. Jack used the logic that only one of us would be sleeping at a time, so he brought only one set of blankets. I turned to look at the said person.

I noticed something was off. His chest wasn't rising slowly like a sleeping person's would. Instead, it was rising and falling in quick, shallow breaths, that can almost be heard. I looked at his face. He was awake, but I noticed a tear, glistening in the darkness, rolling down the side of his face.

"Jack?" I asked in a soft voice. He bolted up, quickly wiping his eyes. "huh?" he asked, disconcerted.

I sat down next to him and just gave him a hug. He cried. Jack Brewer. Crying. Not once did I ever see him cry, but now he is. I rubbed his back, waiting for him to explain. He began to shake slightly, and again, though I felt bad for him, I was intrigued.

In a few moments, he wiped his eyes, and got up. "I should probably watch now," he said. He was going to leave me hanging? Not going to happen.

"Jack, what happened." I asked in a quiet voice.

"Kim, it's nothing, just the whole thing got to me and-"

"What happened?" I asked in a firmer voice.

"Kim, please, let it go," he pleaded.

I held his shoulders, and looked at him straight into his warm brown eyes. "What. Happened." I asked, my voice now having a dangerous edge to it.

He looked at me one last time, before sighing and sitting down.

Even though given the circumstances, I had to marvel how comfortable we have become with sitting 60 feet in the air in only a few days.

I sat down next to him.

"When I was looking around for food yesterday, I heard the same voices that were in the car behind a closed door. So I eavesdropped. And I heard," he took a deep breath at this point, "I heard my grandfather died." He finished in a small voice.

Ouch. Not what I expected. I scooched closer to him and our fingers intertwined. "Kim," he started off. "He meant a lot to me. He got me through a lot of tough times. We then moved to Seaford, and I didn't even get to tell him bye. And now…"

"It's too late," I realized out loud. "Jack, I'm so sorry," I said. "But you know," I started again, "sometimes, you just have to forgive yourself Jack."

He looked at me, his eyes suddenly threatening to spill tears again. "Forgive myself? Kim, to be honest, he was more to me than my parents were. I didn't send him a letter or anything. At night, we would sit together, and he would tell me how he was happy that I was there. 'One person that truly cared,' he would describe me. And I let him down. Now I can _never_ forgive myself," he exclaimed.

I didn't know what to say to that. After a few moments, I asked "Ever heard of second chances Jack?"

He looked at me with heartbroken eyes.

"Maybe you should give yourself one. You know why? You deserve it. For sitting by him all those years, and truly caring for him. You deserve it Jack."

He thought about that for a few second, and I thought I could see the gears shifting in his head. Finally, he gave a small smile. "Kim, thank you… for everything."

For a moment, we leaned in, and I saw his eyes, sparkling in the darkness. He tucked a stray piece of hair behind my ear, and smiled. "You should probably get some sleep," he whispered.

"Probably, but we don't follow the rules." And like that, we sat next to each other for the rest of the night, under stars, just enjoying each other's company.


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank You everyone you reviewed! You guys are really amazing. :D Please keep reviewing and send me you feed back!**

**Jack's POV**

I woke up to see Kim looking out into the distance with tired eyes. It's been 2 weeks since we have been camping out here: a resort in the middle of nowhere. We barely had any sleep, and so far didn't see any escape from this prison.

As I got up, Kim turned and gave me an exhausted smile. She stayed awake the entire night on look out, since she insisted that I deserve sleep from working my job as 'server boy' all day.

I went to the small bowl of water and dipped the dirty washcloth in it. I wiped my face, enjoying the cool trickle of water against the scorching sun.

"Jack, tonight," Kim said, all of a sudden.

"What? What's tonight?" I asked bewildered. I rubbed my face trying to get the sleep out of my eyes.

"While you were stealing food for us, I watched everything that happened at the gates. Every four days, a shipment of fresh oranges from the grove are boxed, packaged, and sent out of the resort without a second glance. If we could sneak into the boxes, we can finally get out of this crazy place," she explained.

I almost cried in relief. A way to get out of here. We had tried everything the past few days, but every attempt ended with one us badly hurt and both of us almost caught.

We tried to climb over the fence. It electrocuted _anything_ that touched it. My left arm had a burnt strip of skin racing from my fingertip to my elbow.

We tried to pass as workers. We didn't have the identification cards, and that sent the security on a wild goose chase. Kim had a deep wound in her leg when one of the guards tried to throw a knife.

We tried climbing the trees and catapulting our way out here. Yes, dire circumstances lead to desperate solutions. Unfortunately, this _wasn't_ a solution. The huge thud of me hitting the ground woke up the security, leading to World War III.

Now, a way that actually has a chance of working. I sat down on the branch, lost in thought. We would need to get in the wooden crates, and bring along enough food for a long time. This was going to be tough…

"Jack, I need to get out of here," Kim said, pulling me out of my thoughts. When I gave her a surprised expression, she explained. "This place is driving me nuts! Seeing the people go in and out. Maybe a bird will fly by. That's the most exciting thing that happened here. I will do something to someone if we don't get out of here," she exclaimed.

I laughed. I don't get how she always managed to get a smile on my face. "Kim," I said with a laugh, "I promise, today will be our last day here."

She gave a weak smile. She still wasn't convinced that I can pull this off. I really didn't blame her. My latest plan had been to take a tree branch and charge at the security. Of course I had been exhausted and slightly delirious from a _very_ long day of work, but still, not one of my brightest moments.

"Look, where do they pack the oranges?" I asked, trying to get her mind off the point there was a 90% chance of us not getting away with this.

"Um, at the east garden," she answered nervously, tucking a strand of hair behind her hair. "They first drop off around half the boxes, then go back to the front gate to get the rest of the boxes. After that, they take the oranges that were already plucked, and pour them into the boxes. They then bolt them shut, pile them into their trucks, and drive away into the distance."

I was kind of taken aback by the amount information she had gathered. "Okay, let's go there and hide. As soon as they go to get the second set of boxes, lets hide in one, and hope that we won't be found."

She looked at me giving a sarcastic look. "Sure, let's just cross our fingers. Of course they'll open the boxes! We need to make it look like the box is bolted, but be inside of it."

I contemplated that for a minute. "Okay, new plan. Let's go there, and improvise accordingly."

She face-palmed, but soon agreed.

We were going to get out of this place. I don't care how bad our chances are. We are going to get out of here, and see our friends and family again. We _will_ get out of here.

 _Time lapse- an hour later_

I ran my finger through the hair and moved another leaf out of the way. We were peering through the orange trees, crouching down, and wishing we never got into this mess. But it was too late to turn back now.

Two men in worker clothing were slowly lifting huge wooden crates and setting them on the ground. I glanced at Kim.

She looked at her watch. "There, that was the last box in the first set," she whispered. "It will take them some time to get the second set, so we have at least 30 minutes before they come back."

I played as server boy for the last time today and got enough food for us for at least 5 days. I stole a set of clothes for each of us, and gathered some money from each house, until I ended up with a huge wad of cash. When I got back, Kim managed to fashion backpack with a set of worn out jeans. We fit everything into it and I got Kim and I a knife each. We didn't want to get violent, but these guys were thugs, and I'm sure the world will forgive us for any 'minimal' damage.

I stared at the men as they got in their truck and soon drove away. As soon as the drone of the truck disappeared, I grabbed Kim's wrist and made a dash for it. As soon as we got there I crouched back down and pulled Kim down as well.

"Okay, we have to make this quick. How do we open these boxes?" I asked. Kim lifted the lid off one of the boxes smirking. Well, that was easy.

"We have to bolt it closed from the inside though," Kim added with a frown.

I looked closely at one of the boxes, when I noticed screws that held the sides of the box together. I grinned. "Hey, do you know where their tools are?"

Ten minutes later, there were screw lying all over the ground, and Kim was looking at me with a worried expression. "Do you have any idea what you are doing Jack?" she asked anxiously. The truth? Nope. No idea at all. But who likes the truth? "Of course! Why would I lead my best friend into darkness?" Because I don't know where the light is.

Kim still looked at what I was doing skeptically. I finally pulled out the last screw, then using all my energy, (which wasn't much after 2 weeks of very little food), I pulled off the side of the box.

"What's that for?" Kim asked in a questioning manner. "You'll see," I said, believing in my crazy plan more as the seconds ticked by. _Maybe this will work._

"Do you know how to bolt the lid shut?" I asked, getting up.

Kim looked over the broken down box, then in one swift motion, she had a slab of wood bolted over the top of the box.

"How- how did you do that?" I stuttered in amazement. "Well, when you're gone, I've have nothing to do, and basically spent the whole day staring at these guys.

The lid was shut, but the side was pulled off. I grabbed a piece of rope from the backpack Kim brought, and screwed it on the inside of the piece of wood I took off, like a handle.

I then packed everything we took out, cleaned up the place, and took the bolts and screws and shoved them in my pocket. "Ready?" I asked.

Kim took a deep breath. "I was ready since we entered this place." I grinned and taking her hand, I pulled her in the box. I then lifted the piece of wood with my make-shift handle, and pulled it in front us, closing the box completely.

We heard the roar of the truck as it came back, and a smile slowly spread on Kim's face. We bolted he lid shut, but only pulled the side of the box close, making look like the box is shut, where in reality we can get out of the side of the box. We fooled them!

3 hours later, I heard the voices of the security men at the front gate talking to the truck drivers. Kim bit her lip, while I pressed my eyes closed, hoping that they won't check through the boxes. After what seemed like eternity, we heard the truck move again, and the gate closed behind us.

Excitement filed Kim's eyes as she slowly looked over at me. Realizing what she was about to do, I quickly pressed my hand over her lips as she silently screamed in joy. I grinned. We were out of here. We were free!


	4. Chapter 4

**Jack's POV**

I felt somebody shaking my shoulder, as I slowly opened my eyes to see a worried Kim looking down at me. "Jack? Wake up! You have eaten anything in the past 48 hours!" she whispered-yelled.

I brushed it off and pushed myself up, when the whole world started spinning. I swayed and held my head as darkness seeped into my vision. "Jack! Don't black out!" Kim cried.

I leaned heavily on her, waiting for the dizziness to pass. After a few minutes, I spoke up.

"I think I'm good now," I whispered. I flinched at how weak my voice sounded.

Kim took something out of her backpack and fed it to me. As I chewed, I realized it was one of the sugary pastries I had brought.

After I had enough energy to eat on my own, Kim released me. "What happened?" I asked, bewildered on why I was so exhausted.

Kim took a deep breath, and I noticed the dark bags under her eyes, and the stressful look on her face. "An hour after we got in the crate, you said you'll take a nap. You slept for a really long time, like 8 hours, so I decided to wake you up. While sleeping, you must've blacked out, and I spent the last hour trying to wake you up."

I pushed myself up, processing the new information. "Hey, I'm fine now, and we got out! It's time to celebrate!" I said in an attempt to cheer her up. She raised an eyebrow, unimpressed.

We felt the truck stop beneath us. "Uh oh," Kim muttered. "Here goes another adventure."

I creeped to the side of the box that wasn't shut tight in case we needed to make a quick escape. I listened closely, trying to catch any clues.

"…so I fill the tank, you get some we food, and we get out of here hmm?" a deep man's voice said.

"Yeah yeah, let's go" another man said gruffly.

Me and Kim waited, breath held and as soon as their footsteps weren't able to be heard, I grabbed Kim, busted open the side of the crate, jumped off the truck and ran.

We ran and ran, as fast as our legs could take us. My legs soon started burning, but I grabbed Kim's hand in pushed on. _This is it,_ I thought. _We get out of here and this miserable life is over. Kim can smile again._ I glanced at Kim, and ran even faster, pulling her along with me. After twenty minutes, Kim collapsed into a chair, clutching at her sides. "Jack… I can't go any further… let's stop," she gasped breathing heavily.

I noticed yellow cars racing across the streets. Cabs. I quickly hailed one, and pulled Kim inside.

"Please, just start driving anywhere," I gasped. "Just get us out of here." The driver did as told, and within 15 minutes, Kim and I were able to breath properly again. I noticed a newspaper lying nearby and picked it up.

I read the headlines. _Jackson Brewer and Kimberly Crawford- Now Charged for Murder of Famous Producer_

I read it again, hoping that my eyes were tricking me. I quickly read through the news.

 _[December 21] After famous director Dolph Grubber revealed his main stars were evil people, everybody has been looking over their shoulders. Last week, when the producer of the film,_ The Karate Games, _mysteriously disappeared, police have been baffled and did not understand what was going on. Sunday morning Grubber reveals the truth behind his two little heroes. "It was time for shooting, so I had gone to Jack's dressing room to call them to the set, when I overheard Jack talking to the girl, Kim. I decided to call them later when something in my gut told me to stay. So I listened, and you would not believe what I heard. Jack had whispered, and these are his exact words, 'We will finish him off tonight, and forge the will. We will then get all the money and become rich." I of course did not know that they were talking about my good friend… but we were obviously too late,' and with that the renowned actor burst into tears over the disappearance of his close friend. Friends and family are devastated, and cannot seem to accept the fact. 'Jack and Kim won't do this, man, that isn't them. They are good guys, you know that? They're best friends anyone can ask for,' Jerry Martinez, a close friend of the two, insists when the news is broken to him. Furthermore, the two kids are black belts in martial arts, and are very good fighters. Police are warning residents to be on the lookout for the two children, who are now charged with the murder or kidnapping of the producer…_

There was a picture of my and Kim hugging each other after I won a match, and the rest was continued on a different page. I glanced at Kim apprehensively, but she was dozing off. I suddenly realized we needed to get out of here. Away from people. Or we will be sent to jail.

"Uh, that's good, you can stop here," I called out, looking down so that the driver would see my face. He grunted and pulled over. I quickly pulled out two 20 dollar bills and gave them to him. "Keep the change, I cried out, as I woke up Kim and pulled her out of the cab. I grabbed her and ran into a small alleyway, put heart pounding so hard I was sure it would pop out of my chest.

 _We will go to jail… Everybody is disappointed in us… our parent will we devastated… jerry, Milton, Rudy, they will all be so angry and said because of us… we are villains to the rest of the world._ The thoughts kept swirling through my head, as I forgot everything going on around me. I sunk to the ground as suddenly my vision became blurry.

I then felt somebody shaking shoulder.

"…Jack! Jack!" Kim cried out, waving her hand in front of me. "What's wrong? Why did we stop?" she asked. I looked into her face. Although they were worried, there was a layer of happiness behind them. She still thinks we're okay. I suddenly hated the prospect of telling her the news.

I handed over the newspaper. "Look," I said in a small voice.

I saw Kim's face change as she read from confusion to hopelessness, then to anger. She stopped at the picture of me and her hugging each other, and grazed her fingers over it. Her gaze softened, but became angry again as he looked up at me.

"How dare he! That evil director I will kill him! Just wait till I tell the authorities!" Kim cried, and I saw a hint of madness in her eyes.

"Kim, it's useless. The people would much rather believe an actor than two kids that everybody is jealous of. He has us trapped Kim. If he can't have his movie, we can't have our old life."


	5. Chapter 5

**Thank you everyone who had followed and favorited. Please answer in your reviews: Do you like Jack's or Kim's POV better? Or does it not matter? Thanks! :)**

**Kim's POV**

I paced round the tiny alleyway trying to control my anger. I glanced at Jack, but he only sat down, staring at the floor dejectedly, making me even angrier. _How could they do this to Jack? How can they do this to_ us? _Will things ever get back to normal?_ With that last though, all the anger left me, as tears blurred my vision and I fell to the ground. _I shouldn't cry. Kimberly Crawford doesn't cry._ But despite what I thought, the silent tears soon evolved into muffled sobs.

I felt a warm presence come nearby and cuddle next to me, stroking m hair, and waiting for me to calm down. After the tears soon cleared out of my eyes, I saw the picture of me and Jack hugging each other in the newspaper. I looked back at the cruelty of the world. It wasn't fair that they had to put such a sweet picture in such a terrible article. I remembered what happened in that photo, as if it were yesterday.

 _Flashback_

 _I gasped I horror, as the opponent kept throwing punches at Jack. All Jack was able to do was give a feeble kick for every 5 punches or so. Jack had broken a rib a few days ago, and even though the doctor said to take a break from karate, he didn't want to leave the weight of bringing the trophy back to the dojo on my shoulders only. 'It's not fair Kim. You shouldn't have to have that much pressure on yourself. I'll help you,' he said yesterday. Despite our protests, he signed himself up and entered the tournament._

 _He had won every match so far, except this match was proving to be a real issue. Finally, Jack saw an opportunity, and flipped his opponent, and pinned him to the ground. The referee came over, and told Jack he won._

 _He ran over to me, smiling, as I caught him with open arms, hugging him hard. When I realized his rib is injured, I whispered in his ear, 'I'm so sorry, did I hurt you?' since the judges will eliminate him if they knew Jack was hurt._

 _Jack grinned, and whispered back. 'Yes, a lot. My ribs are burning. But it was worth it.' With that, he held me even tighter as I laughed in relief._

 _I heard I camera click and a light flashed in our faces, but I didn't care. Jack and I just laughed once more and ran outside to escape the crowds._

 _End of Flashback_

I looked at Jack, and saw him gazing at the picture with a bittersweet expression. His expression hardened, and he looked back at with cold eyes, so angry it was almost scary.

"Jack…" I said in a weak voice.

"We need to stay somewhere safe. I'll get us some supplies. You can look out for anyone. If any stranger comes, just… run. I'll find you," he said in an almost menacing way. He looked out in the distance, as if seeking revenge. I wondered what suddenly made him so angry. Moments ago, he looked like somebody took his old life and broke it into pieces. Now… he looked as if he were avenging someone.

I gave him a small reassuring smile, which he returned with some uncertainty. He then ran off into the dark night, leaving me alone with the freezing winds.

*Jack's POV*

I ran, as fast as my legs could take me, only allowing my feet to touch the ground for a few milliseconds each time. I felt the cold wind zip through my hair, as I felt that sense of _freedom._

I remembered how I always won any race at school. _Imagine you're running away Jack,_ my grandfather would say. _You're running to a whole new land without your chaotic life, without any problems._

I dodged through small street vendors, as a small smile spread on my face. Suddenly, out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a policeman, and I froze, as I was brought back to reality. I slipped into an alley, and ran my hand through my hair.

Reality. What is it? My life is a mess. A huge tangled up knot that one person managed to loosen up just a little bit. Kim Crawford.

I sat down, and leaned against the old brick wall, splattered in graffiti. Just waiting to be made into an even bigger mess. Like me.

I traced the bricks, feeling the rough surface underneath my skin. How did this happen? How could life be so unfair? How could life be so _cruelly_ ironic? I must've lost track of time because I saw a blonde run into the alley and crouch in front of me.

"Jack? Jack, where did you go?" she asked, worried. I looked up, suddenly realized my mistake. "Jack?" she said, softer this time, "are you- are you crying?" she asked, surprised.

"What, no!" I exclaimed, as I reached my fingers to my check. I was surprised when they came down wet. I quickly wiped away any remaining tears.

"Jack," Kim said, in a quieter voice. "I know this is hard for you, but you said it yourself. We need to survive. We can't get caught up in… what's going on right now."

It took me a moment to realize what she was saying. She was chiding _me_ for being weak?! Anger surged through me, but I pushed it down. "That's good advice Kimmy," I said with me best fake smile. "Maybe I'll follow it," I said, giving her a half-hearted wink.

"And maybe you'll stop being so selfish. I'm not trying to be conceited Jack, but how can you only care about yourself at a time like this?" she exclaimed.

I took a deep breath. _She doesn't know, and she doesn't need to know. Just swallow your ego and admit that you made a stupid mistake._

I opened my mouth to apologize, but Kim wasn't finished. "I mean Jack, I want to get out of this too you know?" she cried, and I held a vulnerable edge to her voice. "You can't just give yourself top priority Jack this isn't the dojo, where you are the best," she finished with a quiet voice, that seemed scared to speak.

I leaned into her, anger taking over me, as my breathing became more ragged. Our noses were only millimeters apart. "I… _never…_ gave… myself… top…priority. I. _Never_. Wanted. Any. Of. This. I just wanted a normal life," I whispered, my blood boiling.

I then saw the look of terror on my face, and that pulled me down to reality. I immediately pulled back regretting what I did. "Kim, I'm so sorry, I don't know what got me, I just-"

"What did you say?" she asked.

"What?" I asked bewildered. "I said I'm sorry."

"No, before that. You said that all you wanted was a normal life," she said, pointing her finger at me accusingly.

I ran my hand through my hair, mentally face-palming. _Idiot! Why did your anger get the best of you!_

"Um, I was just talking about this," I said hesitantly. "I mean, the world thinks we're criminals. Our own friend, and…" I tried to swallow the rock in my throat. "… _family,_ probably hates us right now."

She peered into my eyes, and I felt like I was an open book and she was reading all of my secrets. I looked down, trying to not let her realize anything.

 _Please don't find out, please don't find out._

"You're lying," she said simply.

"I- I'm not!" I protested, but I knew she won the game. Sooner or later she'll get it out of me.

She rolled her eyes and looked straight at me. I had to struggle to not get lost in her warm brown eyes.

"Spill the beans," she insisted.

I sighed. "Well, let's just say my life back home wasn't the greatest. It, was a living nightmare that you never wake up from," I shuddered, remembering all the memories. I then noticed Kim looking at me with, what was it? Pity? Sympathy? Whatever it was, I hated it.

I mustered a confident smile. "Hey Kim, it's really fine. I'm… used to it. I grew up with it."

Kim sat down closer to me, and put her hand over mine. "Tell me."

I curled my hand into a fist, debating on what to do.

 _She doesn't deserve to be troubled by this. She has enough on her shoulders._

But she wants it! She wants to help me!

 _So? Don't you care about her? Her world is already messed up because_ you _couldn't figure out that this whole movie thing is too good to be true._

I didn't know what do. But before I could make a decision, Kim's voice broke my thoughts.

"Jack, you can trust me with anything. You've always given us the extra boost at the dojo, holding our backs, and really, just being there for us. The least I can do is return the favor."

 _Way to go Kim. Make it seem like you owe me._

When I didn't answer, she tried again. "Jack, tell me, do you trust me?"

"Yeah…" I answered after considering her question.

"Then please, tell me. Don't even think that this is a burden on me. It... it probably with take away some burden off of me."

I thought about what she just said. How could me telling her my problems make her _less_ stressed out? Maybe she has worse problems? I glanced at her, and noticed the faded scars running p her arms. The pleading look on her face as if she used that expression multiple times. It was as if I were seeing her in a completely new light.

"Jack…"

 _Well, her goes nothing._

"Okay, okay fine. I don't even know where to start. When my parents completely ignored me? When my father became abusive? Or even further back, when my mother died? How about when my twin sister ran away?" By now I was rambling, spilling out all the different feelings bottled up in me since the day I was born. Maye that's where I should start.

"June 25, 15 years ago, I was born with my twin sister, Jacklynn. We were the best of friends. Then mom and dad simply ignored us. Whenever we confronted them about it, Dad would start yelling at us, while mom would start crying."

I paused to see Kim's reaction. She was staring at the ground, face emotionless. I decided to go on.

"We were only 5, but I think I was the one who kept all the dirty bad things away from Jacklynn. Normally, when dad would yell at us, we wouldn't wait to listen. We were terrified. Once I actually listened while Jacklynn ran away, and his exact words were, 'you two should never be alive, never come to ruin us, take away our family and money. You are just a huge mistake.' Another time, while my Mom was crying, I heard her say orphanage. She wanted to send us off. A few weeks later, I made the huge mistake of telling Jacklynn this. She-"

I took a deep breath. I can tell Kim this… She's just Kim.

"She ran away. She couldn't handle it." I fumbled for something in my pocket and pulled out an old fragile piece of paper. There were made tears, holes, and stains in it, and the shaky pencil lines were barely visible. I showed it to Kim.

"She left a note. 'Dear Jack, if Mom and Dad don't love us, I will leave. It is not worth staying. I hope hat with me gone, they will love you more. Love, Jacklynn."

Kim gazed at the writing, her stony face suddenly hinted with sadness.

"She was wrong. They hated me. They said it was my fault. They got even angrier. They started leaving for weeks at a time. I was seven by now. Then one day, Dad woke me up, gave me some white clothes, and drove me to a place where a lot more people wearing white were gathered. It was my mom's funeral. The police investigated, and found nothing. Dad says somebody poisoned her food, but I think it was him. Still there is no proof. Nothing. She's just dead. Now dad leaves anywhere from 3 to 6 months at a time, and when he comes back… he leaves a lasting mark," I finished.

Kim pulled me close, as I hid my face in the crook of her neck. I wished I can just hide from the world, and stay like this forever.

"Jack, why didn't you tell me any of this?" she finally asked.

"I didn't want anyone to know Kim."

She waited a few moments, "You had a twin? Tell me more about her."

"Yeah. She was literally a ray of sunshine. She would always be getting me out of trouble in school with her smiles, and made every person she met laugh. Even the most irritating people would love her. And it wasn't like she didn't know. That's her. Smart, funny, adorable. Jacklynn Brewer."

I heard something rustle behind us. Suddenly, a sharp voice sliced the cold air, "Did somebody say my name?"


	6. Chapter 6

**Okay, so I decided to go with both POVs as you said. Thanks for reviewing!**

**Kim's POV**

I turned around and jumped to my feet to fight of any stranger. It's the middle of night, who would walk into an abandoned alley now?

Instead of seeing some gangster or crook, I saw a girl, probably our age, with messy brown curls braided behind her. She had warm brown eyes that seemed to illuminate the darkness, and she had a look of bewilderment on face.

I forced myself to push down the kick I was about perform, and glanced at Jack wondering whether we should run away.

He looked at her, also confused, and I started to wonder if there was more to this person.

"What did you say?" Jack asked, in a firm but questioning voice.

"I said 'Did somebody say my name?'," the girl said, glaring at Jack as if challenging him.

"J-Jacklynn Brewer?" Jack said, his voice trembling.

"Yeah punk, who told you?" Each word she said stung with bitterness.

Jack ran his hand through his hair nervously. "Jacklynn, it's me," he repeated.

She hesistated for a moment, and for a second I saw a scared little girl not knowing whee to go or what to do behind that mask. I blinked, and I saw the hardened expression on her face again.

"I don't know what little prank you're trying to pull off, but it doesn't work on me. Now this is Jacklynn territory, so _get. Out._ " She said straight into Jack's face. I had to admire the nerve of this person.

"Jackie, it's _me,_ " Jack insisted. I saw something soften in Jacklynn's face. 'Jackie' must've hit too far home.

"Not funny. Get out. I'm being nice okay? If it weren't for… if I wasn't tired, you'd be pulp by now." Jacklynn said, but her voice quivered.

"I thought your catchphrase was 'I hate you!'" Jack said, a smile playing on his lips, as he took a step closer.

Jacklynn shut her eyes, but when she opened them, Jack was millimeters away from her face, grinning from ear to ear. "Hey."

Jacklynn sighed. "Hey."

"I missed you."

"I missed you a thousand times more."

Jack laughed, while tears came out Jacklynn's eyes, and they emraced each other in a bone-crushing hug.

I smiled. It was good to see Jack happy. Especially after that story…

"Jacklynn! You should've told me. Why did you leave?"

"For you! I mean now you have a better life right? Mom and Dad must adore you now. I mean, look how handsome you became!" Jacklynn said with a laugh, wiping at her tears and smiling.

Jack blushed, and I stifled my laughter. "Hey, I see you got yourself a girlfriend hmm?" Jacklynn piped up, eying me over.

It was my turn to blush.

"There's nothing like that Jacklynn. That's just… Kim," Jack finished, not knowing what to say.

"Of course. Just Kim. Just the person you stood in front of protectively. Just the person you glanced at before knowing it was me. Just Kim," Jacklynn said with a smirk.

Jack looked taken aback, but he caught his pace and quickly retaliated, "If you knew what was going on right now, you wouldn't blame us."

Jacklynn laughed. "Jack, you must've forgotten me. I know _exactly_ what's going on. My brother's a criminal!" she ending smiling.

I frowned as Jack looked down. "Jack isn't a criminal. This is all lies by that stupid director." I defended, angry at her for so quickly thinking of the worst.

Jacklynn looked a little surprised, then after a second, spoke up. "Ah, so the silent one speaks hmm? Care to explain Jack?" she asked amused, as if she didn't believe me.

I glanced at Jack, and he looked at me as if to say sorry. "I'll get some food Jack. You can explain to her," I said, and walked off without looking back.

I heard Jacklynn's laughter as she murmured, "I think pretty girl is embarrassed of your crimes Jack," and I clenched my fists. I know that's Jack twin but... _She was raised on the streets. Not even raised, she grew up on the street,_ I chided myself, but I couldn't bring myself to forgive her.

I ran into the cool air that whipped my face. I had no intentions of getting us food. I just had to get away for Jacklynn. And process all of what Jack had said…

Jack had such a terrible life? I remembered how somedays he would come to the dojo severely injured, and he would say it was from skateboarding or karate. Could that be from his father?

 _Of course,_ Jack grandfather was probably his best friend. I wished Jack could've tell me these stuff more openly. I sat down on one of the benches and looked up into the city lights. Skyscrapers towered over us, and buildings were crammed into every spot available. I wondered for the hundredth time where we were.

 _In a living nightmare._

**Jack's POV**

I sighed and looked down at my callused hands. They were smeared with dirt and grime, with hundreds of cuts, big and small covering them.

I really felt bad for Kim; she was insulted, and her pride was hurt. On normal circumstances, I would've never let Kim go into the night to fetch us some food, but she needed some time to think.

When I looked back up, I saw Jacklynn looking off into the distance with a saddened expression. I scooched closer to her, and wrapped my arm around her shoulders.

"What is the real story Jack?" she asked, looked up at me with big worrisome eyes. An act. That was Jacklynn Brewer. In front of others, she would act tough and strong as if nothing on earth could hurt her, but in front of me, she pulled down her walls, and lets me inside. That's just how she was.

"I mean Jack, you aren't the criminal. You are the gentleman, who helps every person you see. _I'm_ the delinquent. How come you _murdered_ somebody?" she asked incredulously, leaning onto me.

I sighed and randomly played with her hair.

"So I learn karate. I learn with Kim, Jerry, and Milton. Our sensei is Rudy and we're all best friends. Sp one day this guy comes in. He's a famous action star, and he says he's creating a movie. It called the Karate Games, and he wanted Kim and I to star in it. So we jumped on the idea, went to Hollywood, and started shooting. We did the first scene, we he sent us outside and said everything from now on was real. He sent all kinds of traps, attackers, animals and weapons at Kim and I, and we were sick of it. So long story short, we escaped the set, got trapped in the director's personal resort, and escaped that place, and finally ended up here," I said, gesturing at the place around us." "Since we ruined the director's movie, who told a bunch of lies, and now Kim and I are first-class serial killers. "

Jacklynn looked at me, then burst into laughter. "That is the best story I heard in ages," she gasped.

I managed a small smile, but it was forced. "I can't believe that's all real. And the fact that you'd end up _here_ of all places."

"Hmm? What's so special about _here?_ " I asked raising my eyebrows in question.

She was about to answer when Kim came running into the alley, a terrified look on her face. "Run… Police... Officer…" she gasped, eyes wide and worried. Jacklynn grabbed Kim and me, and hissed, "Shut up and follow me!"

I ran after Jacklynn, over benches, through the backs of buildings, and finally we were at a wooden door. Jacklynn pulled something out of her hair, and in a swift motion, opened the door and slipped in. She shut the door, and left us in complete darkness.

I heard a small scratching noise, and light illuminated the dark room. Jacklynn was holding a match and lighting a candle. We were in some sort of storage room. Cobwebs covered the corners of the room, but it was actually quite comfy. There was a small table, a nice set of dining ware, an antique shelf, and multiple old blankets were laid on top of each other to make places to sit.

"It's not the greatest place…" Jacklynn said nervously, as she dusted a stack of blankets, "but it's where I live," Jacklynn said with a small smile as she went to the door and bolted it shut.

She went around and lighted more candles, until the whole room was cast in a warm glow. Kim and I shared a look, and we sat down together on one of the stacks of blankets.

"It's… really fine Jacklynn. This is probably the best place we've got to stay so far," Kim said with a little hesitance. She was really trying to become friends with Jacklynn, but something told me Jacklynn won't cooperate.

Jacklynn raised an eyebrow and cleared the small table. She pulled out a wad of cash from her pocket, then looked at me expectantly.

"What?" I asked, baffled.

She playfully rolled her eyes. "What do you have to add to the table, Jackie?" she asked playfully.

I got up to pull out our money from my pocket when I caught Kim's eyes. We had a little conversation through our eyes.

 _Stop! Don't give it to her!_

 _But she's my sister, it's not like she'll steal it._

 _Jack!_

I finally gave in to her silent argument, and instead of pulling out all the money we had, I pulled out two 10 dollar bills.

"Really, that's it?" Jacklynn asked incredulously.

I shrugged my shoulders. "Sorry, we aren't skilled robbers," I said.

Kim started laughing then covered it with a cough. Skilled robbers? That was an understatement. We were even better at robbing than karate. Kim shared a look with me, as she held up a 20-dollar bill that had originally been in my pocket. With that, we both burst into laughter.

"Okay, I feel like I'm missing out on something," Jacklynn said suspiciously, as she laid on the ground, counting the money.

Kim closed her hand around the money, and gave a dumb blonde smile. _Ah, if only Jacklynn knew the real Kim,_ I thought.

"Nothing," I answered, when Jacklynn raised her eyebrows at me. "Jacklynn, where are we?" Kim asked, lost in thought while looking at the dusty books stacked on the side of the tiny room.

"Ah, another blonde moment for the pretty girl?" Jacklynn asked. What was their problem? Why do they hate each other?

"Just answer the question, Jacklynn," Kim said bitterly.

"Hmm? Where are we? Pretty girl, we are in the big city. San Franciso."

 **Okay, that was that. People, please REVIEW and tell me what you think!**


	7. Chapter 7

**I just wanted to say, thank you KickinItForever2812 for giving me such great review every time! It really means a lot to me, and I'm happy you're enjoying my story. Thank you everyone who reviewed as well! So here's chapter 7:**

**Kim's POV**

"Hey Pretty Girl, wake up." I heard as some body pushed my shoulder. I opened my eyes to see Jacklynn. I clenched my jaw to keep myself from retaliating.

"The name's Kim, and there are other ways of waking up people." I said, angrily.

Jacklynn scoffed, and whispered in my face, "Not in my world." She grinned, and playfully pulled me over to the table.

"Look, 84 dollars. 84 dollars! We can last for a pretty long time with that money!" Jacklynn said smiling. But she wasn't looking at me. She was gazing at Jack, who just woke up.

Jack looked around, confused, but I saw the realization dawn soon his face. But he quickly put on a smile and hid the pain.

"Jacklynn, what do you do around here every day?" Jack asked. I noticed that he changed the subject. Our eyes met, and he seemed to be saying, _Trust me._

"Well, about now I'd be outside, robbing people, always saving up for later you know? But since you guys are here, I'll just stay," Jacklynn said, oblivious to what Jack just did.

"Oh, don't let us be in the way," Jack said with one of his signature smiles. "Just pretend if we weren't here. We'll manage."

"But-" Jacklynn protested, but I interrupted and decided to go with Jack.

"Relax! Have a day off!" I picked up half of the money on the table and shoved it in Jacklynn's hands. "Go enjoy yourself and celebrate!"

Jacklynn frowned. "What's the fun without-"

I turned her around and pushed her to the door. "Remember to be back by dinner! We will have a feast ready!" I called after her, as I opened the door and pushed her outside. I slammed the door shut and gave a sweet smile to Jack as he raised one eyebrow skeptically.

After a few seconds, Jack spoke up. "Why do you hate Jacklynn so much?"

"Who said I hate her?" I asked innocently.

"Um, you kicked her out of her house," Jack pointed out.

"Oh well, oops?" I said, flashing another smile.

Jack finally laughed and said dramatically, "Girls."

I mimicked him and said, "Boys."

He smiled. "Okay, the _real_ reason I tried to kick her out is because we need to figure out a way to make the authorities believe us, and become free again. We can't exactly live with Jacklynn for the rest of our lives you know?" he said, playfully shoving me.

I noticed how there was a layer of sadness behind the sparkle in his eyes. "You know, you can take Jacklynn back, right?"

"What?" Jack said, as if I pulled him out of his thoughts.

"I said, you can take-"

"I know what you said! Just… why don't we get out of here first?" he said. I knew he was hiding something, but considering he opened up so much to me the other day, I let it slide.

"Okay, what's the plan?" I asked.

"Well, I gave it some thought," Jack started.

"Wow, Jack's thinking," I muttered.

He rolled his eyes. "So basically, if we reveal ourselves, they will have to give us a trial anyway, right?"

"Yeah…" I said, unsure of where this was going.

"Well, if we tell the truth, some way or another, we will eventually become free. It's how the system works," Jack explained.

I didn't answer at first, pulling over the situation.

"Jack, sometimes court doesn't work. Have you ever heard of those people who have been wrongly punished and sent to jail? And 10 years later, the police admit their mistake ad release them? We _murdered_ somebody. We can be executed. Then nobody will be able to fix that mistake."

After what seemed like eternity, Jack replied. There was pleading look in his eyes, something I never saw, due to the prideful person he was. "But, what's the point if we don't try?"

When I didn't answer, he kept going. "I know the chances are slim, but if we have the right evidence, we will become free right?" he asked.

I scoffed. "Right, let's find some fingerprints and witnesses and DNA samples and video tapes…"

I saw the realization dawn on Jack's face. "Kim, they filmed the whole thing! What if we can get hold of that?"

"Jack, they probably destroyed the cameras already."

"Why would they? Those are real high tech industrial cameras. If I were them, I would be editing the tape to make it look like we were planning to murder the producer."

I thought about that. As much as I hated to admit it, he was probably right. "But where is it?" I asked.

Jack stated pacing around the small room, actually thinking. "It might still be at the set, but janitors and other people always come to the set. That can probably be put at the end. Maybe in his home… no paparazzi is _always_ there. Unless he had a secret lab... or his office! That's where they edit film for the movie, it probably saved on his computer there!" he exclaimed.

"Done talking to yourself?" I asked sarcastically.

He let it slide. "Okay, it's either at his office, secret lab, or at the set. But his office is in LA! How will we get there?"

I pulled the money out of his pocket. "What is this, 200, 300 dollars? We can go by train," I suggested.

"But-"

"Look, you have any better ideas?"

After a few moments, he responded. "No…"

"So, let book some tickets!"

"We need a computer," Jack deadpanned.

"We have the library!"

Jack smiled. "We aregoing to get out of this!" he cheered.

Right then, the door busted open.

**Jack's POV**

The door crashed open, as sunlight flooded in. I grabbed Kim by the waist, and pulled her behind a shelf. I felt a quick and shallow breaths, and her heartbeat racing.

"Stop hiding! It's me," a familiar voice called out. I let out the air I've been holding. _Jacklynn._

Kim shakily got up. "Why would you band the door open?" she asked, in shaky voice.

"Aww, did pretty girl get scared?" Jacklynn asked in a mocking baby voice.

"Stop calling me pretty girl! And yes, you could have been a police officer, for all we knew. Of course we got scared.

Jacklynn laughed, and pointed a pencil out at Kim. "Pretty girl, you've gotta relax! So what if you get in jail? You are a black belt; can't you take one police officer down?"

"Of course I can just-"

"Well, that's just proving Pretty Girl is scared," Jacklynn finished with an edge of finality in her voice.

"Stop calling me Pretty Girl!" Kim insisted. Now Kim was really mad. Why do the two people I love most hate each other?

"Okay, okay, that's enough. Stop calling her Pretty Girl, and stop arguing," I said, walking in between the two.

Both of them glared at me. "Jack, tell her to stop acting like she's in charge of me!" Jacklyn insisted.

I sighed, and held my head. "Kim, can you get some food for dinner?" I looked at her with begging eyes.

We had another one of our silent conversations.

 _You are really going to pick her over me? You kicking me out?_

 _No! I'm just going… talk to her._

I saw the realization come into Kim's eyes.

"Fine," she said angrily, but I knew she was faking it. She grabbed the money in Jacklynn's hand, and they both stopped for a second to glare at each other, then she abruptly walked out the door.

Jacklynn sighed. "The nerve of that girl. I offer her my home, and all she does is be angry at me."

I didn't say anything. "What's her name? Kim wasn't it? Who names a _girl_ Kim?" she asked amused.

"Her name is Kimberly. She just goes by Kim," I said in a quiet voice.

"I can't believe she is a black belt. I mean, she's a _girl._ The most she does is probably kick a little at some annoying girls. I mean, as if she would win a tournament." Jacklynn scoffed.

I clenched my fists. "Jacklynn-"

"Trust me, I'd know if she were a fighter. All she is is another dumb blonde with a pretty smile trying lure in boys. She just like every other girl." Jacklynn said.

"Stop it! She isn't like every other girl. She had won half the dojo's trophies and medals. She had almost beat me multiple times. And she is not a dumb blonde. She is pretty smart. What do you even have against her?" I exclaimed.

"Oh nothing Jack," she said sarcastically. "My brother comes back after many years, and with him, he brings a pretty girl. Jack, I may be homeless, but I heard stories. Stories of broken hearted boys that some pretty girl just took advantage of, then dumped. Do you really think that I have no heart at all?"  
Jacklynn asked, with tears coming to her eyes. She continued in a quieter voice. "Jack, I left everything I had for you to be happy, and I don't want to see it all crumble because of some girl who took advantage over my brother."

I was shocked, but I quickly recovered and gave her a hug. "Jacklynn, I know how to take care of myself. And Kim isn't like them. She doesn't care how she looks, and she doesn't give other boys as much as a glance. She's different Jacklynn," I responded.

Jacklynn quickly wiped the tears from her eyes. "Yeah, well I saw you broken once, and I never want to see it again." She said defensively. I smiled.

"Tell me, how are Mom and Dad?"

I was speechless for a few seconds. "Uh, they're good. Really good."

Jacklynn looked at me for a few seconds, then stated the obvious. "You're lying."

"I'm not!" I protested. Jacklynn took my hand. "I remember, when we were small, you used to tell me everything. What crime you did to get in trouble at school, what Mom and Dad were yelling about. Everything. Can't you trust me one more time?"

I looked at the floor. _No, I cannot, because every sacrifice you did will go to waste._

"Jackie, I promise. Everything is fine." I wasn't a lie. What happens at home is normal to me.

"Jack. Tell the truth."

I sighed, and put my held my head in my hands. I couldn't live this lie anymore. "Jacklynn, you want the truth?"

"Yes," she said confidently. _Time to break all that confidence._

"Mom died." There was no other way to put it. No way to soften the blow.

" _What?_ "

"Dad leaves for months at a time now."

" _Months?_ But why? I left! Half their burden is gone!" I exclaimed.

"Well I'm still a burden to him. And he's abusive." _Just being straightforward._

" _Abusive?_ Why didn't you tell this before? I mean, did he," she paused and took a deep breath. "did he hurt you?" she asked in a small voice.

I turned around and lifted my shirt. I heard the gasp. Okay that's done.

"They blamed me for your absence. I'd say they still loved you Jacklynn. One, tiny human part of them still loved you."

Jacklyn stared the floor. "Jack, I'm so sorry."

"Hey, I'm used to it. And I'd say you have a better life here. Everything worked out in the end."

"Everything worked out?" Jacklynn asked in disbelief. She pointed at a scar on my arm. " _I_ caused this. _I_ did! Which sister does that?!" she was hysterical now, shaking me and crying.

"I'm a monster! I was just a stupid kid and I ran away! Mom died because of me!" That must've brought her to reality.

"I'm a murderer Jack, I killed my own mother." She said in a quiet voice. I hugged her, as she sobbed in my shoulder. I felt bad for her. Very bad. But something in this was comforting. This was the old times. I was Jacklynn's shoulder to cry on. Just like when we were five years old. I gave a sad smile, as I watched the candle flame flicker, then leave us in darkness.


End file.
